


My Body Is A Garden

by acethepan



Category: Frank Iero and the Patience, Gerard Way and the Hormones, My Chemical Romance
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Gay Male Character, M/M, No Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-30
Updated: 2018-08-30
Packaged: 2019-07-04 18:26:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15846885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acethepan/pseuds/acethepan
Summary: Gerard is an Infected, meaning that when he feels certain emotions, he will bloom flowers from his skin. Frank comes into his life and tends to the garden that is this cute flower boy.





	My Body Is A Garden

When the Europeans came to the colonies, they had not anticipated the new species of flowers the land had to offer. The southern colonies became infected with the spores first, which would survive within the human body due to the warmth. The species of flower had at first been failing to exist, but these new hosts helped them thrive. The colonists which travelled north spread the disease to northerners. 

This, of course, upset the new colonists. They thought that the disease was witchcraft, and sacrificed anyone seen with the disease. It’s not hard to spot; whenever someone exhibits extreme emotions, they begin to bloom different colored flowers from their pores. Red flowers meant they were upset or mad, pink meant longing or love, blue meant sadness and depression, orange for curiosity, green succulents for happiness, yellow for fear and purple for physical sickness. 

The population never figured out a real way to remove the spores until modern science became more popular, and it seemed that the spores were sent to the offspring of the infected as well. The disease survived until present day and is actually flaunted, shown as a sign of beauty and individuality. There are still those that look down on the infected, but those are just a small part of the population.

\---

Gerard was fairly normal. He had a job in a flower shop where he tended to roses, lilies, and other beautiful plants. He had a cat and a small apartment with cute succulents everywhere, sitting in little terrariums. His home was painted in monochromatic reds and some pinks here and there. His life was simple, except for one thing. 

Gerard had the Flower Disease.

His pores were littered with small flowers constantly. Sometimes they were green, sometimes orange, or occasionally purple. Sometimes they fell out altogether when he was feeling neutral about everything. The flowers didn’t affect his life too much, they were normal for him.

Customers would sometimes ask to pluck one and pay for it, then would get angry at him when he said no. It hurt to pull out the flowers and would result in constant bleeding for almost an hour straight. (His little brother Mikey had done that to himself and cried for a long time.) All things considered, Gerard led a pretty okay life. 

One day in early June, Gerard saw a man walk in. The man was short and had ink on any exposed skin. A scorpion on his neck, a broken heart on his hand, and what seemed to be ‘HALLOWEEN’ across his knuckles. The man’s hazel eyes flickered across the store intently, sticking to different flowers here and there.

After a few minutes of browsing, the man approached Gerard, who currently had some cute little succulents sprouting on his head. (He’d recently finished an amazing story online.) “Sir?” The man asked to get Gerard’s attention.

Gerard looked at him with a small smile. “Yes, how can I help?”

“Well, uh, this may be a weird thing to ask, but I need a rainbow bouquet. Or a purple-blue-and-pink one, at least.” The man requested, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck.

Gerard let out a soft chuckle, giving him a nod. “Sure, let me see.” He waved for the man to follow and went behind the counter, typing something into a silver laptop. “What kind of flowers do you want?”

“I, uh, daisies,” The man responded. “Ooh, or lilies.” He added the last part with a fond smile.

Gerard nodded and typed in another thing. “So if you want both for the rainbow one, it’ll be almost a hundred dollars-” The man visibly grimaced at the price, which Gerard took note of. “ The blue-pink-and-purple one would only cost about sixty, give or take, plus taxes.”

The man listened intently and nodded, thinking for a moment in silence. “I’ll go with the second one, then.”

“Alright, let’s see…” Gerard mumbled. “It’ll be ready in a couple days for pickup. Can I get a name for the order?”

“Uh, Frank,” The man said.

Gerard nodded and typed in his name, giving Frank a smile. “Alright, come back in Wednesday and you can pick up the flowers. Do you want to pay now or then?”

“I’ll pay now,” Frank said as he fished through his pockets, pulling his wallet out. He pulled a debit card from his wallet and handed it to Gerard, who slid it for him then handed the card back.

“Have a good day, sir,” Gerard said to him with a smile.

“Thank you, you as well.” Frank waved slightly and left the small shop, admiring the yellow paint on the way out.

The smile didn’t leave Gerard’s lips the rest of the day. Frank had put Gerard into a wonderful mood considering most patrons were nowhere near as nice as Frank had been. Gerard noticed, in the reflection of the shop window, that one of the succulents that had been growing on his head was replaced by a beautiful pink flower.

'Probably just waiting for Frank to come back,' he thought. 'He was nice, I’ll probably forget about him after Wednesday.'

Tuesday came and went uneventfully, as did the morning of Wednesday. Gerard was putting a rainbow pride flag up in front of one of the shop windows since it was Pride Month. He checked the rustic grandfather clock standing behind the counter once he was done, seeing that it was about half past noon.

That was when he saw Frank come into the shop, a wide smile plastered across the man’s lightly stubbled face. It was obvious he was eager to get his flowers.

Gerard stifled a small chuckle; it was rare for someone that happy to come into the small shop. He retrieved the bouquet of blue, pink, and purple colored daisies and lilies from where they sat proudly in the window before walking back to the counter where Frank stood waiting.

“Here you go, sir,” Gerard said as he passed the flowers across the counter with a small smile.

Frank nodded and took the flowers from Gerard’s hands. “Thank you!” He said with enthusiasm. “Wish me luck!” He hurried back out of the shop with a new sprightly energy in his step.

As he watched Frank go, Gerard nearly slapped himself from the realization; it was Pride month, and Frank bought flowers with colors matching the bisexual flag. He was going to come out to someone. 

“Good luck,” Gerard whispered, a small blue flower sprouting on the back of his hand as memories flooded over him. 

\---

Gerard was surprised when the thoughts and reminders of Frank kept appearing. When he looked at lilies, or spoke to his brother (a bisexual), or even just looked at the pride flag outside of his shop, he would remember how happy Frank was when he left the shop. He would groan inwardly and brush them away, not even noticing when a larger pink flower popped up at the nape of his neck.

Other customers came and went, not noticing what went on in the man’s head. Some yelled in anger when something didn’t go their way, others brought whiny children in that had no clue how to keep their hands to themselves and not touch the flowers, resulting in multiple flowerless stems.

A week passed since Frank had left with his flowers, and still Gerard fantasized about how the coming out had gone. He envisioned two elderly people, smiling at him and saying that they accepted him. He imagined Frank practicing on a dog first, or just going right up to a group of people along his age and telling them.

Out of all the scenarios Gerard had conjured up, none of them would have prepared him for the sight he saw the Thursday after Frank left.

Frank came back, but every ounce of that energetic happiness seemed to have abandoned him. His shoulders slumped and his feet dragged across the floor, his hazel eyes dulled and trained to look at his beat up white Converse. 

Gerard couldn’t help but frown, another blue flower sprouting where the last one had fallen out. “Frank, what’s wrong?” He asked, hoping that calling him by name could at least cheer him up a little.

Frank looked over the counter at Gerard with a sad and barely noticeable sigh. “They, uh… didn’t take it well,” He said, being open since the Pride flag outside the shop showed that Gerard was an ally at the least.

A sigh came from Gerard, along with a shake of his head. “I’m so sorry, I know how that feels.” He thought for a moment before waving for Frank to follow him into the back. “This way.”

Frank was confused but followed nonetheless, lumbering along behind Gerard.

Gerard hummed and flicked a light on, showing a set of steps. He climbed it, taking the two to the roof, which held a small greenhouse on top with hundreds of flowers. At the edge was a rot iron table and two matching chairs. “Sit.” He said before going back down.

A customer asked Gerard a question when he returned, which he answered quickly as he hurried to the counter to get a pot of coffee and two red Solo cups before going back to the rooftop greenhouse. 

Frank was sitting in one of the chairs, admiring the flowers around him. He saw Gerard come back up and immediately shifted his attention back to the shopkeeper.

“I, uh, I-I know this may be a bit weird, but… I know how it feels, and I know that having someone to… to support you would be a big help in times like this.” Gerard sat in the other chair and set the pot and cups on the table, pouring a couple cups of coffee.

A soft chuckle passed Frank’s lips, his hazel eyes looking at Gerard’s hands as they poured the coffee. His eyes flickered to his nametag for a moment to read it. “Gerard, you really don’t have to do this. I…” He thought for a second, “I’m-I’m okay, really.”

Gerard looked at him. “I highly doubt that. When you walked out last week, you had all the confidence of an unknowingly ugly drag queen-” Frank chuckled at that statement, “and today you come in looking like you owned a million dogs and they all died on the same day. So no, you’re not okay. Don’t lie to me.”

Frank didn’t even try to hold back the smile forming on his pink lips. “You’re really sweet, Gerard,” he stated. “Thank you. The world needs more people like you.” He picked up one of the cups and blew on it a little before taking a sip.

A small rose tint blossomed on Gerard’s pale and freckled cheeks, his lips curling into a smile to mimic Frank’s. “I’m just a florist, I’m nothing special.” He let his gaze return to his lap, picking at the fishnets that lay through the rips in his ripped blue jeans. 

“Don’t say that,” Frank shook his head. “Say it enough and you’ll start to believe it.”

Gerard gave him a sympathetic and grateful smile, another blue flower blooming beside his right ear. “A little too late, but thank you anyways.” 

Frank sighed quietly and looked at him, taking another sip of his coffee. “So, uh,” he began to change the subject, “wha-what are you? Like, sexuality, and whatnot. You said you knew how it felt.”

“Oh, I’m gay,” Gerard said. “That, and I identify partially as nonbinary. I think the term is ‘demiboy’, but I’m not quite sure yet.”

Frank nodded and listened intently. “Ah, okay. If you didn’t figure it out, I’m bisexual. And my, uh, my girlfriend didn’t exactly like that.” His voice was a little more hushed at the end.

Gerard frowned. “I’m so sorry… what did she do, if I may ask?” He sipped his own coffee and held it to his chest.

“Kicked me out and broke up with me… I’m staying at a hotel right now, but I need to find an apartment soon.” Frank’s eyes drifted down to his coffee, looking at the translucent brown drink.

Gerard’s heart ached when he heard that. He shook his head, saying, “No. My shift ends in an hour, you stay up here, and you can come stay with me. You are not going to live another day in a hotel room.”

Frank looked at him with a sad little smile. “No, you don’t have to-"

“I know, but I want to. I’m not going to just stand by and watch this happen.” Gerard’s voice was sterner than usual, but still held a certain gentleness that most people lacked. 

Frank looked at Gerard in shock, trying to wrap his head around it. He smiled softly and chuckled, looking down at his skinny-jean-clad kneecaps. “Thank you. I’ll go to the hotel and grab my stuff, then I’ll come back here and wait for your shift to end.”

Gerard nodded and smiled at him. “Good. I’ve gotta get back to work, see you then?”

“See you then,” Frank agreed with a grateful smile.

They both walked back downstairs, Gerard returning to work and helping customers while Frank left to get his stuff from the hotel he was staying at. He was back within the hour, and left towards Gerard’s apartment after the shopkeeper got off of work. 

It wasn’t hard to notice a cute little succulent growing on Gerard’s arm, om the outside of his elbow. The sight lightened Frank’s mood and made him smile.

Gerard didn’t notice much, focused on navigating the busy street without losing Frank in the crowd. He weaved his way through the people, gripping Frank’s wrist tightly. He double checked constantly that Frank still had his bag as well, hurrying along to his apartment.

They ascended the stairs, only going up a couple levels till Gerard stopped in front of a door and unlocked it, letting himself and Frank inside. The walls were a muted, pale red, with dark hardwood floors and a couple maroon rugs. The couch was a lighter shade of red, almost a pinkish-cream shade, with fluffy red throw pillows that matched the walls. On the windowsill sat a row of geometric terrariums with cute succulents in them. On the rug in front of the couch lazed a black cat, directly in the sunlight from the window.

“Wow,” Frank said softly as he entered the apartment. “This is beautiful.”

Gerard chuckled and smiled, looking over at his new roommate. “Thank you. I hope you like it here.” He went to the couch and pushed it up against the wall, unfolding it to reveal a twin-sized bed. “I got this for when my little brother came over, but you can use it. He doesn’t come all that often.”

“Thank you, Gerard. This is more than enough.” Frank chuckled softly and set his bag beside the small couch bed, sitting on the edge of it.

Gerard couldn’t help but smile, nodding. “You’re very welcome. You can have everything you want, you don’t have to ask for anything if it’s already here.”

Frank nodded and laid on the bed, getting comfortable.

\---

Another week passes, and Frank already got very comfortable in Gerard’s apartment. Gerard gave him a couple hundred dollars for the Pride Parade and drove him there, although they didn’t celebrate it together. Gerard’s brother Mikey had come up from LA to celebrate with him, marching with their own respective pride flags. They both proudly showed off green succulents growing from all over; their arms, heads, necks, everywhere.

Frank celebrated alone, trying his best to keep up with Gerard but falling behind in their group. He sighed when Gerard and his brother got out of view, wanting to be included but getting nervous about approaching.

Once the parade had ended, Frank, Gerard and Mikey all went back to Gerard’s car and shared their experiences at the parade. 

Gerard dropped Mikey at the train station, bidding him farewell as the younger brother had to go back to LA. Frank watched with a smile on his lips, giving Mikey a small wave while he boarded.

Gerard drove Frank home, chatting with him happily. He realized while he drove that a couple pink flowers had sprouted up among all the little succulents. He thought and figured out why.

He was longing for Frank throughout the whole parade.

He let out a subtle and unnoticeable sigh while he watched the pink petals fall out, the emotion going away. 

Gerard and Frank walked into the apartment, both tired after the long day. “G’night, Gee bee,” Frank said sleepily, not even realizing what had come out of his mouth as he practically collapsed onto the couch bed and passed out. 

Gerard heard him and flushed a cherry red when he heard that, going to his room swiftly. In just the few seconds it had taken to get there and take his clothes off to put pajamas on, a bakers’ dozen of pink flowers bloomed all over his pale body. He groaned as he looked at them in the mirror of his room, touching one of the flowers blooming on his scalp.

“Really, Gerard?” He mumbled to himself. “Him of all people?”

He sighed and shook his head, changing into his Star Wars pajamas and crawling into bed.

\---

Pride month passed them by, and life carried on as usual. Gerard worked longer shifts at the flower shop to be able to support himself and Frank. He did a couple art commissions on the side for some extra money, never asking for Frank to work.

Apparently, Frank had lost his job just before getting kicked out. Gerard never spoke to him about it or brought it up, not wanting to touch a nerve. He wanted to treat Frank right, refusing to let him work.

“I can cover it,” He’d say when Frank brought it up. “I’m making plenty of money, you don’t even have to lift a finger.”

Frank would always chuckle and shake his head, saying what good of a person Gerard was. He was very persistent when it came to Gerard’s personality and never accepted the florist putting himself down. It wasn’t hard to tell that Frank was getting attached to Gerard.

Another thing that didn’t escape Gerard’s radar was the absolute abundance of pink flowers that grew out of his own skin. Every day when he went to work, he had to constantly adjust his shirt to be comfortable. They popped up on his back, arms, legs, one even grew on the back of his heel, peeking out of his rose-colored Vans.

He would groan when they grew and sigh in relief when they fell out at night, only to sprout back up in the morning. He hurriedly picked up all the petals that fell out at night, hoping Frank didn’t notice all the pink flowers in the trash with a little blood at the base. (The flowers never bled too much, it was just like popping a pimple.)

Frank began to notice the petals in mid July. He went to throw away a Taco Bell wrapper since he had been eating leftovers for lunch, and saw the small pink flower in the trash. He may not have been infected with the Flower Disease, but it wasn’t hard to tell when someone else did and what all the colors meant. (As Frank was growing up, there were posters all over his school with the emotion chart for Flower Disease. In hindsight they were rather degrading.)

He furrowed his brows together before shrugging and throwing his wrapper in on top of the flower. He assumed Gerard had gotten a boyfriend; good for him, he thought.

Frank couldn’t have been more wrong, though. Gerard hadn’t had a boyfriend since his senior year in high school, and he was currently twenty-seven. He especially didn’t want to rush into one and get heartbroken. That was a sickness for anyone infected with the Flower Disease; all the extreme sadness and longing make flowers sprout everywhere, sometimes inhibiting their mobility altogether. And, since no ones’ heartbreak is the same, the length may vary. Some only last a couple days, some for months, few for years. People have been hospitalized because of it, leading to doctors surgically removing all the flowers to help the infected. That didn’t take away the feelings, though, which meant they had a chance of growing back.

Gerard did his best to push away all the emotions he had begun feeling for Frank. He tried everything from reading a book to watching provocative videos online; nothing he did could take away the longing he had for Frank.

He knew he couldn’t hide the flowers forever and began mentally preparing himself for the inevitable event of Gerard telling Frank how he felt.

The flowers never ceased; in fact, as time went on, Gerard began to find more and more pink flowers. He kept disposing of the flowers, not noticing pink petals falling to the floor at times in the apartment.

Frank saw this and assumed that Gerard was just longing for whatever lucky man called Gerard his boyfriend. He smiled at that, glad that Gerard was happy with someone, but still felt something tugging on his heartstrings.

In the beginning of August, on a vaguely warm Saturday, Frank announced he was going to a coffee shop for a drink. He offered to get Gerard some, but the florist declined, chuckling as he said that homemade was better. Frank rolled his eyes and, with a smile on his lips, left the apartment. He came home that night with the same smile on his face.

About a few weeks later, Frank came home from another trip to the coffee shop with a taller man in tow. He was about six feet tall and had broad shoulders and curly brown hair. He wasn’t muscular, but he wasn’t lanky either, and wore an AC/DC Back In Black t-shirt.

Gerard was reading a book, sitting in a new chair by the windowsill, his cat laying in his lap. He looked up at the two curiously, cocking his head a little bit.  
“Gerard,” Frank said, “this is Ray. He’s my new boyfriend.”

The florist felt his heart drop. “O-Oh… Hello, Ray.” Gerard forced a convincing smile. “I’m Gerard, Frank’s roommate.”

Ray gave him a smile in return. “Hey, Gerard.”

Frank and Ray sat on the couch together and began talking with Gerard. Gerard and Ray got to know each other. The florist genuinely smiled; he would see why Frank was dating Ray. He was a kind man and seemed to put everyone else before himself. They talked for a while and, when the sun went down, Frank escorted Ray back to his car and bid the taller man adieu.

Meanwhile, in the apartment, Gerard had rushed to his bedroom to rid himself of his shirt. It had already begun.

Gerard was heartbroken.

Bigger flowers bloomed right before his eyes, only in shades of pink and blue. The colors were deep and vivid, showing how extreme all the feelings coursing through the florist were. Tears ran down his cheeks as less and less of his skin became visible, his hands absentmindedly reaching up to wipe them away.

Not even five minutes later, Frank walked back into the apartment. He didn’t see Gerard in the living room and shrugged, assuming he had gone to bed. He sighed and pulled the couch out into a bed, laying down on it to go to sleep.  
Gerard woke early the next day and hurriedly dressed himself in a big coat, rushing out of the apartment. It had to have been five in the morning at the latest, and he never even got up until seven. He hurried along to the flower shop and moved all the flowers into the greenhouse before scribbling something down on a blank sheet of paper and sticking it to the glass door.

He sighed and locked it back up before beginning the walk home, not taking off the jacket despite it still being late August.

Frank was just barely awake when Gerard arrived back home. He heard the florist walk through the hallway and a door shutting, then sat up. “What…?” He knew Gerard never got up that early; it was still only six-forty-five. He got up and made a pot of coffee, pouring some for himself and another mug for Gerard, thinking that he may not be feeling well. “Gerard,” He called the the back of the apartment, “I made coffee for you, It’s on the counter.” He didn’t get a response.

He shrugged and texted Ray while sipping his coffee, planning on meeting up outside Gerard’s flower shop. He was eager to show his boyfriend how pretty all the flowers were and thought having a friend there would be good for Gerard when he came out to open it.

Only about fifteen minutes later, Ray and Frank met up outside the flower shop. Ray had been there first, a frown on his face.

Frank immediately took note of the expression and changed his own to match. “Ray, what’s wro-” He cut himself off when he looked inside.

The flower shop was empty, except for the counter, a few shelves and a couple lone vases. There were no lights on and no signs of a break in. He looked at it worriedly, then saw the makeshift sign on the door.

'This shop will be closed until further notice.'

“What… why would Gerard do this?” Frank said, more to himself than anything. “He loves this shop.”

Ray shrugged. “I dunno.” He looked up at the roof. “Looks like all the flowers were moved up there. See?”

Frank looked up at the greenhouse and nodded. “Yeah… I’ll ask him about it when I get home. Let’s go get lunch, okay?” Ray nodded in agreement and took his hand.

They went out for lunch and Ray walked Frank back to his apartment when they were done. They kissed each other goodbye, waving as Frank walked inside.

Frank sighed and walked down the hallway to Gerard’s bedroom door, giving it a knock. “Hey, Gerard? You in there?” He said. “Ray and I stopped by the flower shop and saw the sign… are you okay? Do you need help with anything?”

There was nothing but a terrifying silence.

Frank swallowed hard and slowly opened the door to see what looked like Gerard sleeping, curled up in the blankets. All that was visible were his eyes and nose.

He sighed in relief to see Gerard okay. He shut the door silently and went to the living room to read, letting Gerard get his rest.

\---

Frank saw less and less of his roommate. At first, Gerard would peek around the corner to check on him at times, just his face being seen and a gray beanie on his head. His words were kept to a minimum as he rushed to the kitchen for food when Frank wasn’t looking.

He began wearing more layers of clothes, and as time passed, he came out less and less when Frank was in the apartment.

When they talked, Frank would ask how Gerard’s day was. Gerard would shrug, sometimes unnoticeably because of the layers, and switch the topic to Frank’s day. The moment Frank mentioned Ray, Gerard felt yet another flower pop up somewhere on his body. He would escape to his room as quick as socially acceptable, still not wanting to be disrespectful to his friend.

Frank got increasingly worried as days bled into weeks, and weeks into a whole month. He would see Gerard only once or twice every couple of days, sometimes seeing him get coffee or a book from the shelf in the living room. Very little of his skin was ever exposed. He tried to convince himself Gerard would be okay, but still he worried.

When he worried a lot, sometimes all that stress would give him a slight stomach ache. He got up late one night in late September, going to the restroom to try and relieve himself. The bathroom was right across the hall from Gerard’s room, so as he passed, he couldn’t help but notice the soft sniffles and whimpers coming from behind the door.

A frown crossed Frank’s lips and suddenly his bladder problems disappeared as all his focus was put onto Gerard’s room. He knocked softly before opening the door and taking a small step inside.

On the bed laid Gerard, in nothing but his boxers, sweating and crying. His pale skin was blanketed with dark pink and blue flowers. He had gotten sick of all the layers rubbing up against the flowers on his skin and thrown the clothes into the corner, letting out all the bottled up sadness.

“Gerard, what’s wrong?” Frank said, keeping his usually loud and energetic voice at a soft and gentle tone.

Gerard was shocked by this, jolting upright and looking at Frank. His eyes were red and puffy, showing that he had been crying for a while. He scrambled to cover himself, hands shaking. “F-Frank, oh god, h-hi…”

Frank sighed and took a few steps closer. “Gerard, please stop hiding from me. I’m sick of it all. Just tell me what’s going on with you so I can help.”

The florist sat in his bed, shaking slightly as he tried to calm himself down. “I… I-I… have you ever heard of… H-Heartbreak Syndrome?”

Frank nodded softly and sat on the bed beside Gerard. “Yeah, I have.”

“Well, I…” Gerard paused for a moment. “I have i-it.”

Frank looked at him, putting the pieces together. That explains the flowers, and the flowers explained why he was hiding so much. “Oh, god, I’m so sorry, Gerard. Whoever caused this is a jackass that doesn’t deserve someone as awesome as you.”  
Gerard looked at him with sad eyes and thought, Oh, if only he knew who it was.

Frank sighed and went to rub his back, feeling only flowers there. “Ah, sorry, Gerard,” he chuckled awkwardly. “You should get some sleep. Ray and I are going to get breakfast in the morning, and if you’re well enough, I want you to join us.”  
The florist flinched and shifted, hiding a pink flower that bloomed on his wrist. “Uh, yeah, sure. Sounds awesome.”

Frank smiled and nodded, getting up from where he sat on the bed. “G’night, Gerard.”

“Night, Frank,” Gerard said softly and laid back down on his bed.

Frank shut the door and went back to the living room, laying down on the makeshift bed he was using. He fell asleep quickly, all the worry from earlier lifted from his back.

The morning came and the two men awoke, Gerard before Frank. The florist noticed that all the flowers were still there and groaned, going to the bathroom.

He pulled out tweezers and gauze, exhaling and placing a washcloth between his teeth to muffle any cries he made. With shaky hands, he began to pluck out the flowers, tears pouring out of his eyes. The pores bled profusely, which he cleaned up with some toilet paper. He finished his chest then turned around, turning his head to look into the mirror. Once he got a feel for where all the flowers were, he closed his eyes and began feeling around his back with his left hand and plucking with tweezers in his right. More tears poured out of his eyes as blood came from the pores on his back.

Once Gerard finished his torso, he wrapped it up in gauze to prevent any new flowers from blooming. He then sat on the toilet and began pruning his legs, doing the same to those once he was done plucking. He stood and looked into the mirror, accomplished with how he looked. He hurried across the hall to his room and got dressed, covering all the gauze with a black sweater tucked into blue jeans.

Gerard finished getting ready and walked out to the living room where Frank and Ray were waiting, talking as they sat on the couch.

Frank noticed Gerard and gave him a smile, noticing all the flowers were gone. He also noticed his eyes seemed a little red but ignored it, blaming all the crying he had done the previous night. “Hey, Gerard. Ready to go?”

“Mhm,” Gerard hummed with a small smile. “Let’s go.”

The three men walked out of the apartment and a few blocks to a small diner, talking all the while.

Like every other time he spoke to Frank, he realized how in love with the man he really was. He was considerate and energetic, yet serious when the moment called for it. He never failed to light up the room and his smile made Gerard’s heart swell. His giggle gave Gerard butterflies in his stomach and Gerard often became lost in his eyes.

Then, of course, Ray would speak up and remind Gerard that Frank was strictly off limits.

Gerard liked Ray, don’t misconstrue that. He thought Ray was fun to be around. The fact that he was with Frank made Gerard sad, though, and made pink flowers bloom at the base of his neck, with a couple blue ones as well. Luckily his hair was long enough and thick enough that the flowers were hidden from anyone else, except of course if he moved his head at a different angle.

They arrived at the diner and sat in a booth, Frank and Ray sitting on one side and Gerard on the other. Gerard rested his head in his left hand and his left elbow on the table as he read through the menu, just deciding on a classic burger with fries and a Coke. Frank got a veggie burger, and Ray got pancakes, which Frank poked fun at the whole time.

The couple joked around happily, Gerard chiming in but only occasionally. The florist found himself getting sadder, feeling a flower bloom beneath the gauze. He began to shift around uncomfortably in his seat due to the new bloomer.

They all ate breakfast and went back to the apartment, still chatting. “Ray and I are gonna head to town today, alright, Gerard?” Frank said to the florist.

Gerard looked at him and nodded, forcing a smile. “Yeah, sure. Have fun, you crazy kids.” He chuckled softly, knowing he was the oldest of the three of them, even if only by a few months with Ray.

They all said their goodbyes as Gerard walked inside, laying on the couch while his cat laid on the windowsill. Silent tears leaked from his eyes, unexpected and uninvited. He let them fall, closing his eyes as he slowly drifted to sleep.

He woke up not even an hour later with a horrible pain, somewhere between his stomach and his mouth. He jumped up and ran to the bathroom, kneeling over the toilet and puking.

Out came blood, pink and blue petals mixed in. That meant that a few flowers had bloomed inside of him as well, and his body had to expel the uninvited guest. He cried again, the tears falling into the toilet with the bloody flower remnants. His cheeks and throat burned; he was absolutely humiliated that he had let it get this far. A yellow flower bloomed behind his ear.

\---

About once or twice a week now, Gerard would run to the bathroom and puke up flower petals and blood. It was a horrible sight to see, and he never let Frank see it.

Gerard still plucked his flowers every day to make Frank think that he had gotten over his Heartbreak Syndrome, even though it was getting even worse now. Well into October was he crying at night and regurgitating flowers.

He tried his best to keep it under control; Frank’s birthday was coming up, after all. He cleaned himself up and went out to the store, picking up a birthday card first. Then, the florist went to his shop, which he had reopened a week ago, and picked out orange and purple daisies and lilies, knowing those were the flowers he liked. He stuck with a Halloween theme since that was Frank’s favorite holiday and, coincidentally, the inked up man’s birthday.

Gerard then went home and signed the card, setting it and the bouquet of flowers on the table for Frank to see. At some point Gerard had the thought that is was a tad too romantic, but Frank knew Gerard was a florist; it seemed perfectly normal.

Frank arrived home later that evening with Ray, in the middle of a discussion about the money issue. For the first couple months of them being together, Gerard hadn’t been working, which left Frank with no money. Ray had been supporting him financially and was insisting on continuing to do so, but Frank was persistent in stating that he was okay.

Gerard was sitting at the kitchen table with a small smile on his face when they walked in, sipping some coffee, which Frank smelled and followed to the kitchen.

“Ha,” Gerard said with a smile, “I knew you would come for coffee. Happy birthday, buddy.”

Frank chuckled and smiled, reading the card and picking up the bouquet. “Thanks, Gerard, really. This is awesome, getting a bouquet from you is always a treat.”

Ray nodded his head in agreement. “Man, you are really good at the whole arrangement thing. Good job.”

Gerard’s smile only grew, enjoying the praise from the two men. “Thank you, I’m glad you both like it.”

“Although,” Frank began, “it is a little gay.” He added that in a joking tone.

Gerard just giggled and shook his head. “And you assume anything I do has a heterosexual connotation?”

Frank smiled and laughed lightly. “Nah, not really.”

They all went to the living room to watch a movie; Nightmare on Elm Street, per Frank’s request. Ray and Frank were snuggling with one another beside Gerard. Gerard couldn’t help but look at them every five seconds.

A pink flower bloomed somewhere inside Gerard’s stomach, giving him that all too familiar pain that signals when he was going to puke. He swallowed hard and stood up, saying, “I’m gonna use the restroom, I’ll be right back.”

He hurried off to the bathroom before they could respond and shut the door before kneeling beside the toilet. He began gagging and eventually retched the usual blood and petals into the toilet bowl, clutching the side with shaking hands.

While he had tried to be discreet, the sound of the flower falling into the water managed to reach Frank’s ears, alerting him that something was wrong. He gave Ray a soft kiss on the cheek before standing up. “I’m gonna go check on him, I think something may be wrong.” Ray just nodded as Frank went to the bathroom door, giving a soft knock.

“Gerard? Gerard, are you alright?” Frank made his presence known before turning the knob and opening the door.

He caught Gerard in the middle of cleaning up his act, seeing the florist shut the toilet lid, but not before he saw the blood and petals in the toilet bowl.

Frank frowned and looked at Gerard worriedly. “Gerard, what’s wrong? Why was there blood in there?”

Gerard swallowed hard, his throat dry and burning from the stomach acid that had found its way into his throat when he threw up. “It’s the heartbreak syndrome…” The florist answered honestly, voice raspier than usual and quiet.

“It’s back?” Frank asked and examined Gerard for a short moment. “Who is this dick that keeps doing this to you?” His voice suddenly was dripping with anger; he may have just been Gerard’s friend, but he was still protective. “Who is it, Gerard?”

The florist shook his head a little bit and let his gaze slowly drift to the floor, shifting from one foot to another. “It’s… it’s you, Frank.” Gerard said at last, tearing his eyes from the tile floor to look Frank in the eyes. “Frank, I love you.”

Frank was shocked to say the least. His whole body untensed as all the puzzle pieces clicked together in his brain. “You… you love me.” He said, voice barely above a whisper.

Gerard nodded softly. “The pink flowers were normal, sustainable, but… y-you got with Ray…” He looked at Frank. “Not that it’s a bad thing! I’m glad you’re with someone that makes you happy, really I am, but… but I still want to be with you.” His voice grew quiet for the last eight words.

The tattooed man was silent for a few moments. He couldn’t be mad at Gerard; why would he? The man had just confessed his undying love for him. Frank sighed quietly, breaking the silence and looked at Gerard. He hated to say it, but he had to.

“I’m sorry, Gerard. I’m with Ray, and like you said… he makes me happy.”

Gerard felt tears prick his eyes as Frank broke his heart for the second time. He nodded softly and forced himself to look Frank in the eyes. “A-And that’s what I want. You to be happy.”

\---

Gerard threw Frank a small birthday party, managing to get ahold of a few of his friends and invite them to his apartment. He was quiet during the party, and Frank didn’t have to ask who when he saw another bouquet of flowers on the kitchen table for him.

And so began what Gerard liked to call ‘The Distancing’. Over the next couple of months, Gerard distanced himself from Frank as much as he possibly could. He wouldn’t speak to him for weeks on end, feeling like a burden to the man now. His heart still ached for Frank, meaning Gerard still had to pluck the flowers every day. It was painful, and bloody, but he didn’t want anyone to know he still had Heartbreak Syndrome.

When December rolled around, he closed the flower shop for the season and became, more or less, a recluse, hiding away in his room for as long as his body could handle. He did commissions, day in and day out, for people online to still earn money.

He did that every year, but this year was different. This year, there was a man spending the holidays with his boyfriend in the other room. This year, Gerard had a chance at not being so alone, and he hid away out of fear.

It wasn’t until disaster had struck that Gerard and Frank finally began to talk again.

It was late at night, and Gerard was working on yet another digital commission, when he heard the front door slam open and closed. He could hear Frank, his tone angry as he spoke to someone. There was no second voice, so he must have been on the phone with someone. It escalated and eventually ceased, the creak of the couch being heard after.

Gerard frowned and rose from the chair in his room, opening the door and padding out to Frank. He lumbered along, feet silent as they were clad in socks that hadn’t been washed in about a week. “Frank, what’s wrong?” He asked when he reached the living room, voice raspy from not being properly used in so long.

Frank was hunched over on the couch, holding his head in his hands. When Gerard spoke to him, he raised his head and made eye contact, his hazel eyes red from crying.

The tattooed man hesitated for a few moments before he spoke. “Ray… Ray cheated on me.” His voice cracked and his eyes returned to the floor, tears falling where his gaze was tied.

Gerard was silent as he moved to sit beside his friend, or at least he hoped they were still friends. “I’m so sorry, Frank. No one deserves to have to go through this.”

Frank looked at him, silent for a few seconds. “You’re faking it,” he said. “A-All you want is to get in my pants. Isn’t it?”

The florist was absolutely dumbfounded. “Why would you even think that, Frank? No, no I don’t. Just because…” he hesitated, “j-just because I love you, doesn’t mean I’m always lusting after you.”

It wasn’t hard to tell that Frank was skeptical, not wanting to believe him. He had already been through so much emotional pain that day, he didn’t want to fall for another trap. But he needed a rock to lean on, and Gerard was pretty much his only option at the moment.  
He leaned over and pretty much fell against Gerard, beginning to sob into the crook between his shoulder and his neck. He wrapped his arms around the florist, clinging to the smelly green coat he wore.

Gerard was a little shocked, but definitely obliged, holding the tattooed man close to himself. “It’ll be okay, Frank. It’ll be okay.”

“H-How do you know?” Frank croaked out between his sobs.

“Because…” Gerard sighed. “Because I’ll make sure that it will be.”

Frank sniffled, not having an answer to that. He just buried his face back into Gerard’s neck, eyes squeezed shut.

Once Frank was calmed down, Gerard laid him down on the couch and got up. “Get some rest, Frank. You need it.” He said, voice soft as he watched Frank drift off to sleep.

Gerard went back to his own room, and thus was the end of ‘The Distancing’.

\---

Frank seemed so lost after he and Ray broke up. They had gone everywhere together, and now, it was just himself. He was clueless.

That’s why Gerard stayed with him as much as he could. Not as a lover, but as a friend, his support. Like when he saw Frank lumber into the flower shop looking like he had a million dogs and they had all died on the same day; he knew no one should go through this, not alone, at the very least.

Every few days, Gerard would announce they were to go out, and they would. He’d take Frank into town and go to lunch, or go look at different shops, snow boots crunching in the crisp northern snow. They would try different restaurants, never going to the same twice in two weeks.

Gerard began to see improvement; Frank began to smile more, that giggle had returned, and he was much more energetic. All in all, he was acting like himself again.

Eventually Valentine’s Day rolled around, and Frank felt sad again. Gerard took note and approached him about it while they were out.

“Are you okay?” Gerard asked, watching Frank look into a window with a red display.

A sigh came from the shorter man. “Valentine’s Day is this Saturday.” Gerard nodded softly and was about to say something before Frank continued. “I was really hoping to spend it with Ray.”

“Ah,” Gerard said softly. “I understand.”

Frank looked at the ground. “I’ve never been able to spend a Valentine’s Day with anyone before. It would have been nice. I had it all planned out and everything.”

Gerard was quiet for a moment. “What if…” he began, “what if we find you someone else to spend it with?”

Frank chuckled. “Thank you for the consideration, Gerard, but it wouldn’t be special. I want to spend it with someone I love, and everyone I’ve ever loved has left me.”

Gerard thought, humming quietly. “Well, who says the love has to be romantic? There’s platonic love, too.”

The tattooed man looked up at Gerard for a moment before smiling. “Gee?”

The florist blushed softly, not used to the nickname, but still answered, “Yes, Frank?”

“Will you be my valentine?”

Gerard’s face reddened further, eyes a little wider as they glued themselves to Frank. “You… you want me to be your valentine?”

Frank chuckled and nodded. “Oh, god, you sound like a giddy schoolgirl. Yes, of course I do. Why wouldn’t I?”

Gerard chose not to answer that, just smiling and giggling softly. A little succulent bloomed on the left side of his neck, showing how happy he was. It was the middle of winter, and his flowers didn’t bloom that much in the winter, so this one little succulent meant a lot to him.

Slowly, Frank slipped his hand into Gerard’s and continued walking down the sidewalk, changing the route to Gerard’s flower shop. It may have been winter, but Gerard still had the greenhouse and kept various flowers in there.  
Gerard hurried along with Frank, following him up the steps to the small rooftop greenhouse. The shorter man looked around intently before finding what he needed; he plucked a small rose from a bush, just barely avoiding the thorns, and gave it to Gerard.

“Isn’t this, like, a custom?” Frank chuckled. “Y’know, giving your valentine a rose?”

Soft giggles erupted from Gerard as he took the flower, holding it delicately. “Yes, I suppose it is. Thank you, Frankie,” He said, testing out the nickname.

Frank gave him a nod and a toothy grin. “No problem, Gee bee.”

Valentine’s Day came quick, as it was just a few days later, and it was Frank’s turn to be the support. Well, not really ‘support’, but he definitely tried to tend to Gerard more than Gerard tended to him. He wanted to make up for all the pain the florist had gone through because of the Heartbreak Syndrome, which had luckily vanished in the past few weeks.

Both Gerard and Frank guessed that it was because of how much more time they had to enjoy one another’s company. Gerard didn’t have to long for Frank to be near him anymore.

The morning of Valentine’s Day arrived, and Frank rose early to make breakfast. He made waffles, Gerard’s favorite. He even put some on a plate and put syrup on it, setting it at a place on the table before making his own plate of waffles.

After a few more minutes, Gerard sleepily rose, walking out to the kitchen when he smelled the breakfast. A smile crossed his face, still oozing with sleep.

Frank noticed and looked at him, returning a toothy grin. “Morning, Gee bee,” that had been his favorite nickname for the florist, “sleep well?”

Gerard nodded and sat at the table, picking up the fork that was set out for him. “Mhm. Thanks for making breakfast, Frankie.”

“Sure thing,” Frank said and sat beside him, beginning to eat his own waffles. “So,” Frank began, “I’ve got some stuff planned for us today. We’ve got a pretty full day and I really hope you enjoy it."

The florist listened with a smile while he ate his breakfast. “I know I will, don’t you worry.”

They ate and talked to one another, and once that was over, Frank announced that they were to go out to a skating rink. Gerard was terrified, as he had never been skating before, but Frank reassured him that everything would be okay. Gerard believed him, of course, but couldn’t shake that giddy nervousness seated in the pit of his stomach.

The skating rink wasn’t too crowded, since most northerners still preferred going to a frozen over pond to skate. The two men were able to skate and stumble in peace. They both fell constantly but always helped one another back up. They stood on their own for about five minutes apiece, which wasn’t surprising; neither of the men had terribly good balance.

Frank told Gerard that it was time to go and went with him to put the skates back where they got them, walking Gerard out with their hands intertwined.

He hadn’t yet noticed, but Gerard had a pink flower blooming right above his ear. Frank took note of it and smiled softly; he must be feeling a lot of love for a flower to bloom in the cold of the north.

The shorter man began to walk his friend down the road and stopped at a coffee shop, ordering what they each liked and handing the taller man his coffee. Gerard said a soft thanks before sipping at the cup, holding it close to his chest. The drink warmed his body up more, allowing another few pink flowers bloom on his head.

Frank took him to a re-showing of Rocky Horror after that before heading home. He exhaled softly and gave Gerard a smile. “So,” he began, “how was your Valentine’s Day?”

Gerard chuckled and finished off his coffee. “The best I’ve ever had. Thank you, Frank.”

It only took a moment for Gerard to remember that he and Frank still remained only friends; nothing more. Just friends, and he had done all that whilst doing nothing but falling more in love with the inked up man in front of him.

Frank looked at Gerard and watched a small bud bloom on Gerard’s hand, a beautiful, vivid blue with pink specks on the tips. His lips twitched into a frown, his brows knitting together. “Gee… what’s wrong? Why are you sad?” He said, not wanting to address the pink; he figured they would both be there for the same reason.

Gerard sighed and looked at the little flower. “I… the only thing I’ve done today is…” He hesitated. “I’ve only fallen further in love with you, Frank.”

There was silence for a couple short moments. Then, Frank smiled, and chuckled, shaking his head lightly.

“Gerard,” Frank said, taking a step closer, “I have something to tell you.”

Gerard’s face heated up; red alarms were going off in his brain, but his heart told him to stay put. It isn’t hard to tell which he listened to. “W-What is it, Frank?”

“Gerard, I love you too.”

The statement hit Gerard like a stack of bricks, almost making him tumble back. “You… y-you do?” He squeaked out, his voice a little quieter and higher than normal.

Frank smiled and nodded, leaning up and getting on his toes to connect their lips in a loving and innocent kiss, one that was long overdue. Gerard couldn’t do anything but reciprocate, body untensing and hands gently holding onto Frank.

They stayed like that for a few moments before pulling away, both of them in a haze from what had just happened.

“I love you so much, Gee bee.” Frank broke the silence. “I’m a moron for not realizing it sooner.”

Gerard shook his head, smiling softly. “I love you too Frankie.”

Frank chuckled and wrapped his left arm around Gerard, using the other to cup his cheek, the florist leaning into the touch. “My pretty flower boy.”


End file.
